Better the Devil You Know Kylie Minogue

” Better the Devil You Know ” is by Kylie Minogue, the Australian singer and songwriter. Kylie first came to attention when playing tomboy mechanic Charlene Robinson in Neighbours, the Australian soap opera.
After gaining one of the biggest television audiences ever in the United Kingdom ( 20 Million ) when she married Scot ( played by Jason Donovan ), Kylie has since gone on to become an award-winning recording artist. In 2008 she was presented with an OBE ( Order of the British Empire ) by Charles, the Prince of Wales. As of 2015, her record sales have exceeded 80 million.
The song was written and produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. Stock Aitken Waterman, also known as SAW is a British songwriting and record producing trio made up of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. The trio enjoyed success in the latter part of the 80s and early part of the 90s.
Stock, Aitken and Waterman are one of the most successful songwriting and producing teams of all time. The songwriters and producers had more than 100 UK Top Forty hit singles; their earnings are estimated to be around $104 million. Stock Aitken Waterman have notched up sales somewhere in the region of 40 million records.
” Better the Devil You Know ” was released on the 30th of April 1990 record labels PWL ( Now operates the label EBUL ) and Mushroom ( Warner Music Group ). The song was taken from Kylie’s third album, Rhythm of Love.
The album, recorded in the spring and summer of 1990 in London and Los Angeles, was released on the 12th of November 1990 by record label PWL. The album debuted at number seventeen on the Australian Albums Chart, after climbing to number thirteen, it fell back. However, when Kylie was promoting her Rhythm of Love Tour, Rhythm of Love moved up the chart again and this time peaked at number ten. In the United Kingdom the album entered the UK Albums Chart on the 24th of November 1990 and reached a peak of number nine, it spent twenty-two weeks on the chart there.
” Better the Devil You Know ” is thought to be about Kylie leaving Neighbours and her relationship with Michael Hutchence, the INXS frontman and her then-boyfriend. Michael was found dead on the morning of the 22nd of November 1997 in his hotel room in Sydney, the New South Wales Coroner reporting his death as a suicide.
The accompanying music video was filmed in Melbourne, Australia and directed by Paul Goldman. Paul is an Australian director who has worked on over 200 videos for various artists including Silverchair, Berlin, Crowded House, Elvis Costello and of course Kylie.
It features Kylie dancing more suggestively than in her previous videos. At the time she was in a relationship with Michael Hutchence, during the video she can be seen wearing one of Michael’s rings.
” Better the Devil You Know ” was a commercial success for Kylie. In her native Australia, it debuted at number five on the week ending the 10th of June 1990, eventually peaking at number four. The song spent a total of thirteen weeks on the chart and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association ( ARIA ) with sales over 35,000 copies.
In the United Kingdom, it entered the UK Singles Chart on the 12th of May 1990 and reached a peak of number two. It spent five weeks in the Top Ten and a total of ten weeks on the UK chart.